Focus on Ecotourism & Sustainable Tourism
The teachers underwent a 40-hour intensive training program to integrate ecotourism in the Galapagos Contextualized Curriculum. The program was enhanced with hands-on fieldtrips organized by the ECOS Foundation. This foundation collaborated closely with civil society to create Experiential Learning Scenarios.
This educational strategy’s ultimate goal is to increase awareness of the importance of sustainable travel among youth. The facilitators stressed the importance of responsible resource usage and the role of sustainable tourism in the region as an important economic activity.
Impact on Education and Community
Washington Tapia our general director highlighted the significant contribution of the institute to Galapagos Education. He said that the institute provides educators with essential tools to help them raise a generation of Galapagos conservationists who are aware of the island’s uniqueness and committed to its preservation.
The Educational Institutes are important in enhancing the curriculum and promoting sustainability. The institutes began in 2016 and have now become an annual fixture of the Education for Sustainability Program. This is a collaborative effort between Galapagos Conservancy (GC), the Galapagos District Education Directorate (GDED) and the Scalecia Foundation, under a framework of inter-institutional collaboration.
Jenny Macias is the director of the Education for Sustainability Program. She stated that this initiative goes beyond training teachers. The ultimate goal of the program is to raise environmental awareness and improve educational quality among more than 7,000 students in the province. Jenny said that by empowering teachers to use innovative and sustainable educational approaches, future Galapagos generation leaders will be shaped who actively contribute to conservation of the archipelago, as a social-ecological system.
